


Riju’s Road Trip of Therapy

by Mimiwritesfic



Category: Hyrule Warriors: Age of Calamity (Video Game), The Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild
Genre: Basically, CANNOT believe that’s not a tag, Champions are mentioned but don’t show up, Emotional Hurt/Comfort, F/M, Parental Teba, Post-Age of Calamity, Riju takes initiative for her mental health: the fic, Team as Family, Teba and saki are ridiculously sweet in every scene i put them in together: the fic, The ship is mostly background but they’re sweet, bc they ded, link and zelda also mentioned but don’t show up, teba adopts the new champions: the fic
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2020-12-22
Updated: 2021-02-14
Packaged: 2021-03-10 16:42:25
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 2
Words: 8,123
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/28240353
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Mimiwritesfic/pseuds/Mimiwritesfic
Summary: After winning the battle against Calamity Ganon and getting pushed through time once more, Riju finds that she’s only been gone five minutes—and not only that, her accomplishments while she was out battling seem to have made no impact at all on the present. How does she handle this disappointment and grief, you ask? By gathering up the only other people alive who understand what happened in that alternate timeline, of course!
Relationships: Buliara & Riju (Legend of Zelda), Riju & Prince Sidon & Teba & Yunobo, Saki/Teba (Legend of Zelda)
Comments: 26
Kudos: 156





	1. Buliara, We’re Going on a Roadtrip!

**Author's Note:**

> This is mostly setup but the next part will have even more of the found family goodness, I promise. It’s all drafted and everything—enjoy!

Riju clung to Patricia’s mane shamelessly, her stomach turning as the blue light absorbed her vision and overwhelmed the face of Lady Urbosa. Roaring filled her ears from a wind that didn’t exist, whipping at her hair and clothes relentlessly as she was tossed through the void-

And, rather abruptly, Riju had sand in her face instead.

“Ugh… pleh!” 

Patricia nosed at Riju’s face with concern and helped her fumble up out of the sand dune they’d been unceremoniously dumped in. Riju spat to clean her tongue of the grit and gratefully patted Patricia’s neck, silently promising  _ plenty  _ of wildberries to make up for the ordeal. Time travel wasn’t fun regardless of the mission. 

“LADY RIJU!”

Near-constant pitched battles had honed Riju’s instincts to knife-sharpness—fortunately for Buliara, the time portal had sucked away any fighting energy left. Riju found herself scooped up like a misbehaving seal pup before she could blink, barely thinking to struggle until someone was attempting to take her temperature and examine her eyes.

“I’m fine!” Riju protested, wriggling away from her guard and the medic she’d dragged along—though, it seemed like Buliara had snagged  _ exactly  _ the same medic who’d been present when Riju left. Odd. “Buliara,  _ really,  _ I was only gone for a couple of weeks-“

_ “What?  _ Lady Riju, did you get heatstroke?” Buliara’s concerned (and more than a little upset) face filled Riju’s vision, blocking out the desert sun. “You’ve been missing for barely five minutes! You mean to tell me that portal took you away for  _ longer?” _

Abruptly, Riju remembered  _ exactly  _ how she’d gone through to the Calamity’s era—namely, by giving Buliara the slip not long after spotting it and diving through headfirst. Her guards had tried to stop her beforehand, claiming it was unknown and dangerous and that none of  _ them  _ had seen Lady Urbosa struggling in battle, so caution was prudent. Five minutes was long enough for Buliara to start panicking, clearly. 

_ I probably shouldn’t mention just how many monsters I fought…  _

“I’m fine, I promise! Look, all limbs accounted for,” said Riju soothingly, backing up a little. “Patricia’s alright, too. Besides, I’ve changed  _ everything!” _

“Lady Riju…” Buliara sighed, half in relief and half in frustration. “Changed what? The only thing that happened while you were gone is the entirety of Gerudo Town getting ready to go find you.”

Riju froze. Surely they would have noticed. Surely  _ something  _ would have changed. She’d thrown a wrench into the flow of time and saved her ancestor’s life—surely that meant  _ something  _ different?

“But—I saved Lady Urbosa. I changed things,” she began, certain that Buliara would make a confused face and say  _ yes, she lived a long and happy life, why? _

But that didn’t happen.

“I don’t know what that thing showed you, Lady Riju, but I don’t know what you mean,” said Buliara. “She fell to the Calamity. What do you mean you changed things?”

_ But she didn’t I saw her murderer die I saw the Calamity die-  _

Things went a little… fuzzy, for a moment. Only Patricia’s rough hide rubbing up against her arm brought Riju back, and even then, she struggled for words. 

“No,” she managed eventually, shaking her head to hide the tremble in her voice. “I was  _ there.  _ I fought off the blight until help arrived. I—Naboris!”

“What? The divine—Lady Riju,  _ please,  _ would you just stay here for-“

“Just keep up! Please!”

Riju hitched herself to Patricia in record time, barely sparing her bodyguard a moment of hesitation before making a beeline across the dunes from the sand seal races—oh, that seemed so long ago now—towards where Vah Naboris stood sentinel over the desert, standing at the mouth of Karusa Valley in case the Yiga made a reappearance. 

_ But they won’t, Kohga joined our side because his right hand man was nearly killed and he became a friend and- _

Riju shook herself out of it. Ally or not, Kohga was in the past now. Maybe he was still alive…? 

Regardless, Naboris lit up blue as Riju approached, recognizing someone with a Champion’s spirit. That would have been more reassuring if Riju had only been its copilot when she went back, and not practicing to do so on her own time.

_ Let me in,  _ she told it anyway, tugging Patricia to a stop as she got closer. Buliara skidded up moments later, already opening her mouth with a rebuke.

“Wait,” Riju told her, letting the tiniest bit of desperation creep into her voice. “Please. Just—I need to check something.”

Buliara glanced between her and the now-kneeling Divine Beast, which would only allow Riju entry. “Very well. Just… please come right back out again?”

“I will,” promised Riju, already stepping towards the ramp. Then she twisted without a word and nearly sprinted into the Beast, praying she was right. 

_ I came in right before that thing would have sliced her open. So—if I’m right—there won’t be any signs like there used to be.  _

Riju almost didn’t want to open her eyes as she made it inside the belly of Naboris. She resolutely looked at the ceiling, which would retain no marks whatsoever. If Lady Urbosa had survived longer, she would have taken care of Naboris, and it would have shown…

Then Riju steeled herself and looked at the floor.

_ No.  _

Old, weathered, and barely darker than the stone around it, a bloodstain marred Naboris’ insides like Malice had not long ago. The Malice had probably preserved it, even. 

_ No.  _

Riju felt stone hit her knees as she folded but barely registered it. There was no mistaking the placement—right under where Lady Urbosa had been standing when Riju crashed through the portal. 

_ I saved her I changed things I—I- _

But she hadn’t.

And the shock of it all caught up with Riju right as she stumbled out of Naboris, sending her collapsing into Buliara’s arms. 

The next few weeks were some of the worst of Riju’s life, barring the period of time after her mother’s death. She just couldn’t convince anyone besides Buliara of what happened, and it cut her deeper than she cared to admit. Every conversation started to sound the same. 

“It was real…”

“I’m sure it was a surreal experience.”

“No, it was  _ real.  _ I know it was.”

“It seems you went to some kind of parallel world, then.”

“But I traveled through time! That’s what they told me after I got through! Why aren’t we feeling the differences here?”

It was like walking on glass. Riju knew her people cared about her. None of them said they didn’t believe her to her  _ face,  _ at least. Riju could survive the awkward glances away and subject changes. But… 

Even Buliara’s support only carried her so far. 

Riju knew the war had happened, and that she had helped win, but what did that matter if she had no tangible proof besides a few small scars? If history’s course hadn’t altered at all, what could Riju do or say to prove herself? Doubt began to taint her daily life—if she couldn’t prove it to anyone else, how did she know it was real? 

_ Wait.  _

There were at least three other people she  _ didn’t  _ have to prove it to. 

—

“I n-never took any Hebra mi-missions and now I remember  _ why,”  _ said Riju through chattering teeth, clinging to Buliara’s side greedily. As if the snow and below-freezing temperatures weren’t bad enough, Rito Village and its surrounding area was  _ so windy  _ that Riju was positive she’d blow away without Buliara there to keep her steady. “Have you ever be-been here before?”

“That I have not, no,” said Buliara with a carefully-level voice, shifting her cloak so that Riju was covered more thoroughly. “It lives up to the tales. It’s so cold, living here sounds like…”

She trailed off suspiciously and Riju glanced up with a squint. 

_ “Seal- _ icide.”

Riju burst into pealing laughter, which managed to both take her mind off the cold and dispel a little bit of her apprehension. 

_ “Warrior Teba? Ah, he’s where he always is, of course.” The Rito Elder stroked his beard thoughtfully, eyeing Riju with respectful curiosity. “May I ask how he got the attention of the Gerudo Chieftain? I believe no one from your end of Hyrule has visited us in… oh, generations. Don’t tell me he’s  _ that  _ infamous…” _

_ “Not at all,” Riju assured him. “Or—in a way. I heard of him through the hero.” _

_ Which wasn’t  _ totally  _ untrue.  _

Teba, as it turned out, was just as much of a training addict during times of peace as he was in the middle of a war. Riju was redirected to a spot on Rito Village’s outskirts which the warriors used to practice aerial archery. All was silent and hushed by the snow as they approached—until explosions rocked the sky from the direction of a wind-filled pit up ahead.

“W-wait! False alarm!” Riju yelped, barely stopping Buliara from picking her up and hightailing it. “Teba trains with those all the t-time, he’s a bit of a—well, he’s friends with  _ Link,  _ so…”

Buliara understood  _ precisely  _ what that meant and sighed heavily. “Just… approach slowly, Lady Riju.”

Riju did precisely that, awkwardly trudging through the snow with Buliara until they were in the flight range proper and watching a blur of white feathers dart through the mist. Teba must not have seen them, because he swooped to land inside a hut on the opposite end without so much as a double-take.

_ Moment of truth, Riju. If he doesn’t recognize you…  _

“I’ll go first,” said Riju to Buliara, who looked doubtful but gave her a boost up the icy ladder regardless. Riju clambered up to avoid getting frozen to the wood and stuck her head over the edge, scanning the insides for her friend. 

“Dad? Who’s that?”

Riju blinked at the chubby Rito vehvi who had spotted her first, noting his familiar feather color and beak shape.  _ So  _ this  _ is the son he never shut up about- _

“KID? Hylia, is it good to see you! C’mere!”

Riju gratefully held on to the black-and-white wing suddenly filling her vision and found herself tugged upwards into a feathery hug, which she appreciated for more than one reason. 

“I missed ya,” said Teba with a gruff chuckle, ruffling the back of Riju’s head affectionately. “I thought you stuck to the desert—whoa!”

“Buliara,  _ please  _ don’t stab him, it’s just a greeting!” Riju protested, redirecting the ire of her guard as Teba abruptly set her down and backed off in the face of a Gerudo claymore. 

“Hmph.” Buliara lowered her sword again, but Teba’s comically fluffed-up feathers didn’t go back to normal quite as quickly. The Rito vehvi glanced between all involved parties with alarm and chose to attach himself to Teba’s leg, which was probably the only reason Buliara relaxed. 

“Right, I forgot you’re royalty,” said Teba, ruffling his vehvi’s head in the same motion he’d used on Riju. “This the guard you kept telling us about, then?”

“Oh! Where are my manners, yes-“ 

Riju ended up huddled close to the fire after introductions were made, bundled in a down blanket over top of her winter clothes and sipping a spicy pepper stew. Buliara chose to stand (or sit cross-legged) sentinel by the entrance. Teba’s vehvi, Tulin, peppered Buliara with excited questions about “that GIANT sword” and “living in the SUPER HOT DESERT” while Teba set about cleaning his bow. 

“Sorry, he’s just excited because I told him all the fun stories,” said Teba apologetically. “Kid’s  _ really  _ excited to grow up and go on adventures. He’ll be a good warrior one day.”

“He’s got an excellent role model,” said Riju with a grin. Then she took a breath and set her bowl into her lap gently, cradling its warmth. “So… did people believe you, then…?”

Teba’s movements slowed down until his wings were still on his bow and squinted at Riju. “I didn’t say much after I realized… after I realized nothing changed. I didn’t expect to come back and  _ see  _ him or anything. We Rito don’t have very long lifespans even when we’re not adrenaline-seekers. But—well,  _ something _ should have been different. I’ve only told my family the whole truth.”

Riju snorted bitterly and refused to lift her eyes from what was left of her stew. “I only told  _ everyone  _ that I was leaving to save Lady Urbosa and then came back with nothing to show for it. You handled it better… I made a fool of myself. It’s a miracle my orders are still followed.”

“Kid.”

Riju started when a wing gently landed on her shoulder and looked up to see Teba’s serious face. Somehow, he’d never sounded condescending when calling her “kid”, and he’d never come off as trying to be her superior—but he still definitely intended to be listened to. 

“You handled that situation  _ extremely  _ well for someone who’s not even a teenager yet,” said Teba firmly. “You saw someone in trouble and leapt in to save them, then decided to go ahead and fight a disaster that everyone who grew up in our era knows  _ destroyed the world.  _ Not only does that make you brave, it makes you someone who can act on her feet to defend the people she’s in charge of. That’s someone to respect.”

Riju swallowed. “Thank you. We didn’t end up saving anyone, though.”

Teba sighed and retracted his wing. “Maybe not. Not in this world, anyway—but over there we sure did. I can live with not seeing those results here if it means the Calamity didn’t happen  _ somewhere.  _ We made an impact. Don’t let doubt diminish your accomplishments.”

Riju took a long sip of her stew and let the spice warm her lips before speaking again. “I suppose you’re right. It’s silly of me to mope… I just wish someone who  _ hadn’t  _ been there believed my story without a seal-load of proof.”

Teba caught her glance at the distracted Buliara and snorted. “Well, I  _ know _ that stings. My best friend said I was nuts right before I went through the portal and he’s  _ still  _ calling me a du—an idiot. He loves me, but he’s tired of having to scrape me out of the snow, you know?”

“You’re more responsible than that, surely,” said Riju dryly. They  _ both  _ knew that wasn’t totally accurate, and Teba laughed again and tugged the down blanket over her head in mock revenge. 

“Tell you what. I’ve been dealing with doubt from others for years, so I know all the tricks,” he said, once Riju had fumbled out of the impromptu hood. “Do they care about you, the people who don’t believe you?”

“Yes,” said Riju instantly. She’d never faced insults or derision or disobedience, just… pity or doubt. 

“Is there anybody who’s undermining your ability to do your job because of this?”

“No.”

“Then you’re good, promise.” Teba absentmindedly rubbed a scuffed part of his quiver as he spoke. “And I thought  _ I  _ had to adjust at a young age… listen, you’re a responsible young lady anyway, so I doubt any of the pity or disbelief will stick around long enough to really have an impact. I’m living proof—you think they’d let a hack be a high-ranking warrior?” 

Riju took another long sip of her stew, draining the last of it with a satisfied sigh. “Thank you. Really. I think I just needed…”

“Someone to believe you without any convincing? Or just someone who was there to talk about it with?”

“Both, really.” 

“Well, if you need someone to believe you without having actually  _ been there,  _ Tulin’s at that age where he’ll believe anything,” said Teba sagely. “Just try not to teach him anything  _ too _ out there. Link’s already got him convinced that the dragons are friendly.”

Riju would have laughed if the sudden mention of Link hadn’t reminded her of something. “Teba, have you  _ seen  _ Link recently? Like… since we got back?”

“Hm… not really, but he dropped by to spend time with the local bard a few days ago,” said Teba after a moment. “I wasn’t around, and the gremlin had the  _ nerve  _ to not stop by the Range and see me. Happens a lot, honestly, he comes and goes as he likes. Why?”

“I don’t know. Link’s a dear friend, and, well…” Riju absent-mindedly traced some of the wavelike patterns on her bowl with one finger. “I feel like we shouldn’t mention what happened. The hero we fought beside then and the hero we know now aren’t quite the same person. I wanted to know if anyone else had broken the news.”

Teba winced. “Yeah. Even with the memory thing he’s got going on, I don’t think that would go over well—and the princess…”

Riju remembered the happy vai who finally found peace and her place in an ancient legacy, then thought about a curious-yet-saddened vai whose peace had come at insurmountable loss. “That would end poorly.”

Suddenly, a flying ball of gray feathers catapulted over Riju and directly onto Teba, who caught it with an  _ umph  _ and nearly fell backwards, much to Riju’s stifled hilarity. 

“Dad! Dad! Miss Buliara says she killed a giant sand worm!” Tulin wriggled around until his father had a better grip on him, clearly too excited by Molduga tales to worry about little things like potentially falling into the fire. “Is this the lightning chief you told me about? The one with the cool sword? I don’t see a shield like you said!”

Riju looked over and saw Buliara’s formerly-distracted profile stiffen as Tulin mistook her for the great Lady Urbosa. She decided to run damage control and let Teba set his son straight, waddling over to Buliara while keeping the blanket snugly around her body like a robe. 

“I apologize thoroughly,” said Buliara quickly, keeping her voice low so as not to disturb Tulin’s excitable (and loud) conversation on the other end of the hut. “I was blinded by my own concern and thought you simply needed space.”

Abruptly, Riju realized she’d been wrong about Buliara’s reasons for being awkward.  _ Oh, I’m a fool—she’s too good with vehvi to be awkward around a chatty one.  _

“It’s okay,” she said softly, leaning into Buliara’s side. “You’ve always been as a sister to me. I know you want the best for me.”

“I should have done better,” said Buliara firmly, squeezing Riju’s shoulder. “I’m just grateful that this trip allowed some modicum of closure.”

Riju laid her own slim hand over Buliara’s on her shoulder and squeezed back, silently saying  _ all is forgiven.  _ And it was. 

“Okay—Tulin, please—would you two like to stay for dinner? I hear the meals down at the stable aren’t great,” said Teba, finally getting his son under wraps (literally, the giggling Tulin had been bundled in a spare blanket). “Granted, Link told me that, and the kid can’t go five feet without denouncing someone else’s food and making his own.”

“We brought our own provisions,” Buliara began politely, but Riju stood up to say her own piece.

“So long as we’re not imposing,” she said, and that was that. 

“YAYY!” Tulin cheered, forgetting that he was bundled and nearly making Teba drop him. His chatter didn’t stop until they were well on their way back to Rito Village, and even then it was because Tulin couldn’t hang on to his father’s back mid-flight and still get answers from two grounded Gerudo.

“You didn’t seem surprised about the child,” said Buliara, watching Teba wheel around above to keep them in his sight as he flew. 

“Teba’s a very proud father,” said Riju with a giggle. The stew had banished the chill from her bones, making it much easier to traverse the snow without shaking herself to death. “I heard  _ all about  _ his family. More often towards the end of things, really… I think he got homesick.”

“And you told them about me?”

“Of course. You’re family,” said Riju. 

Buliara stayed silent for the rest of the trek after that, but Riju caught some red on her face that might not have been from the cold. 

Once getting over the swinging rope bridges was done, Rito Village itself was really quite an enjoyable place to be. It didn’t have the same serenity as the desert night, but the gentle birdsong and creaking of wood held a different kind of peace. If it weren’t for the cold and her duties in Gerudo Town, Riju would have loved to stay there forever. 

“Is that them? Good evening!” A blur of pink feathers ahead solidified into a lovely Rito vai waving Riju and Buliara down as they approached one of the highest roosts—only just below the Elder’s roost, actually. “Come on in, we’ve got plenty.”

Riju remembered her manners and was sure to thank her hosts profusely, as did Buliara, but Teba just accepted with a nod and his wife actually  _ chuckled.  _ “Come on now, no need for all the formality. You’re-”

Whatever she had been about to say was cut off by Tulin zooming over and attaching himself to Buliara’s leg with stars in his eyes, which effectively broke whatever ice had been there as they went about getting served and settled. 

“I’m Saki,” said Teba’s wife as she handed Riju a wide bowl full of what looked like some kind of pink fish over rice. “You’d be Chief Riju, right?”

“Yes, and the one your son is so curious about is Buliara,” said Riju, gesturing to how Buliara was trying to multitask with her food and the relentless Tulin. Teba rescued them both a moment later, falling into conversation with Buliara easily and letting Riju and Saki take their time. 

Saki chuckled again. “He’s a curious little fledgeling, that’s for sure. Between you and me, he might not need weapons training—he could just talk at any monsters until they leave.”

Riju giggled and took a bite of her meal, then rapidly changed her focus to the bowl. “This is delicious!”

“Thank you! I can’t take all the credit,” said Saki graciously. “My neighbor helped get all the ingredients together and gave me the recipe. She’s quite the cook.”

“Don’t sell yourself short, Saki,” said Teba, momentarily halting his conversation with Buliara on the benefits of Rito bows over Gerudo bows. 

“Of course not, dear.”

Riju had very little experience watching romantic relationships outside of those that Gerudo formed with each other, having rarely left her home in her childhood, but she could tell that she was witnessing a strong one. How a gruff old bird like Teba landed a cheerful vai like Saki, she had no idea. 

“I know what you’re thinking,” said Saki, catching Riju’s unsubtle glances. “An unlikely pair, huh?”

Riju began sputtering apologies, but Saki laughed it off with a wave of her wing. “No, it’s fine! When I was younger, I was a lot more like Teba than you might think—I nearly stabbed him on our first meeting, after all.”

Riju snorted and valiantly tried to contain her mirth. “You’d make an excellent Gerudo, Saki.”

“Why thank you,” said Saki graciously. “I gave a lot of that lifestyle up to settle down because it seemed more appealing than constant battle, but I’d say I can still shoot with the best of them.”

“She can!” said Teba loudly.

The feathers around Saki’s neck ruffled in embarrassment. “Dear-!” 

Even Buliara failed to hide her chuckles. 

Much to Riju’s delight, dinner lasted quite a while (even extending to a dessert of sugary fruit) before she and Buliara had to go back to the stable for their bunks. Warmth filled both Riju’s belly and her heart as she left the village, waving to little Tulin on the way out and stumbling to bed as soon as possible.

Unfortunately, the remainder of the night was restless. Part of it was the cold—somehow so much more  _ piercing  _ than the freezing desert nights—but the rest was all in Riju’s head. Teba seemed well-adjusted, but he was pretty unflappable in  _ any  _ situation. If Riju, who normally prided herself on dealing with trauma relatively quickly, hadn’t been doing so hot… what about the others?

Selflessness came with being a true chief. Riju couldn’t help but wonder how the nervous Yunobo was doing after losing the pillar of support that Daruk had been for them all, or how Prince Sidon was handling re-losing his sister. Riju knew enough about Zora and Goron lifespans to be  _ extra  _ concerned about the disappointment her fellow descendant champions faced. 

_ They must have been expecting to see Daruk and Mipha again…  _

Daruk had become something of a friendly uncle to most of the younger Champions—so, everyone excluding Lady Urbosa and Teba. Riju had known little about him, and vice versa, but he fought valiantly to defend them all against the Calamity and still provide moments of lightheartedness in the midst of all the shadow. 

And Mipha—Riju owed the Zora princess her life several times over for her healing magic. Had Zora been able to properly survive in the desert, Mipha would have counted as an honorary member of Riju’s guard just for that. Her speed and calm demeanor in battle saved lives just as much as her healing powers did. 

_ Lady Urbosa’s loss cut me to the bone, but I wasn’t truly expecting to see her again after going back. Teba idolized Revali, any fool could see it, but he’s reached peace all the same. I don’t think the others can say as much… _

It was settled, then. Riju would be continuing her roadtrip. 


	2. Fake It ‘Til You (Can’t) Make It

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Riju and her crew reach Death Mountain and find Yunobo, but he’s maybe not as fine as first impressions suggest....

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> In my defense, a lot of stuff came up in the past couple of months. The long wait is totally on me. Enjoy!

“No.”

Riju held her gaze steadily, refusing to break eye contact.

“No…”

Riju didn’t move. 

“No…  _ dammit.  _ Fine, yes.”

“Great!” said Riju, brightening instantly while Buliara gazed at the heavens as if questioning existence. “This will greatly improve diplomatic relations with the other races, of course.”

“Which is why you intend to skip the Hylian settlements as much as possible,” said Buliara dryly.  _ “And _ why you explicitly plan on hightailing it in the opposite direction if either the princess or the hero gets within a mile of us.”

“Buliara, please-“

Riju’s plan was simple: extend her trek across Hyrule to include Death Mountain and Zora’s Domain, as opposed to its original singular destination at Rito Village, in order to see her friends again. Simple… on paper. Having only ever left Gerudo Desert for her unfortunate war adventure—and traveling via Sheikah teleportation during that time—Riju was extremely unused to the concept of long overland journeys. Getting to Rito Village had taken long  _ enough.  _ Her new excuse of diplomatic relations (which was only half an excuse, the other half being genuine) was the only reason Buliara would accept for going on such a long trip. 

Still, Riju missed being able to simply climb a tower or two and be done with it. Her ability to use Sheikah runes had faded the instant she got back to her own time, too, so she couldn’t even  _ try  _ to mess with the various towers. How unfair. 

At any rate, they had to get going, so Riju decided to try and intercept Teba before he inevitably left to go train again. Rito Village’s bridges were no less rickety, but she made it across perfectly fine—just in time to run into  _ Saki  _ instead. Literally. 

“Oh! Good morning, dear, that’s quite the entrance.” Saki steadied Riju with one wide wing before stepping back to give her space. “I was just coming down to make sure you two have a decent breakfast. Did you rest alright?”

“Er… I closed my eyes,” said Riju honestly.

Saki fixed her with an impressive stare reminiscent of Buliara’s best. “If you weren’t leaving today I’d make you go back to bed right now. What time do you go home?”

“Soon as I say goodbye to your family,” said Riju. “We’re not going home just yet, though. There’s still two other champions… I want to reconnect.”

“Is that so? I think that’s a good idea,” said Saki. “Teba’s told me all about the three of you. Let’s see… Yunobo and Sidon, right?”

“That’s right.”

“It feels like I know them already. He’s impressed by the lot of you, and it takes some skills to impress a Rito warrior like him,” said Saki with a light, genuine smile. “Here, I’ll walk with you up to the roost. Teba won’t leave for another quarter hour at least.”

“Thank you,” said Riju, easily falling into step with her.  _ Almost like falling into a march- _

Riju surreptitiously shook her head.  _ I’m not at war anymore. Come on, it didn’t even last that  _ long. 

Riju had to sidestep several multicolored Rito vehvi on the way up, as well as an irritated Hylian vai who hissed about apples for some reason and an inky-black Rito who greeted Saki cordially and shot Riju a confused glance. Rito Village bustled in a different way than Gerudo Town did—fewer shouting vendors and glittering jewels and more open-air homes and constant flapping—but it seemed  _ everywhere _ had its share of vehvi causing trouble. Riju took comfort in it (so long as the vehvi didn’t cause trouble for  _ her).  _

Reaching Teba’s roost was, of course, where a vehvi apparently overheard Riju’s thoughts and blatantly ignored them. Tulin darted straight for her legs in a greeting hug that nearly sent Riju toppling all the way back down the stairs before Saki grabbed them both in an impressive feat of strength. Riju only had time to wonder—again—how Rito hands worked before Saki was setting her down again and gently rebuking Tulin for the near assassination. 

“Sorry,” said the little Rito morosely, drooping in Saki’s wings like an overdramatic piece of fabric. “I got excited!”

“It’s perfectly alright,” Riju assured him, stifling a giggle when Tulin instantly perked up and tried to escape Saki’s hold to run off and do something else. Saki swept him away and was replaced by Teba, who seemed a little confused to find Riju at his doorway. 

“Morning, kid,” he said, affectionately ruffling her hair again. “Need something?”

“Not really. I just wanted to say goodbye,” said Riju. She briefly explained her next course of action, at which point Teba stood up a little straighter. 

“Actually, I’ve been thinking recently…” he said, leaning on the doorway leisurely. “I miss the others too. Got room for a Rito warrior on that traveling squad of yours?”

“Well-“

“Oh, NO. Absolutely  _ not,  _ you maniac!”

Riju unconsciously took a step back as all of Teba’s feathers stood on end and he slowly turned to face his wife, who had appeared right behind him as if from nowhere.  _ Terrifying. How someone who is bright pink manages to be that stealthy, I’ll never know. _

“You came back smelling like smoke with your feathers singed and all your arrows gone saying you fought a  _ war  _ less than three weeks ago!” Saki hissed, backing Teba up a few steps by sheer presence. He raised his wings in surrender, but Saki cut him off with a wave of one wing. “Not to mention you didn’t even  _ tell  _ me you were going to dive through a mystery portal before you did! I had to hear it from Harth!”

“What? You didn’t even tell your  _ wife  _ you were leaving?” said Riju, scandalized. The outburst earned her a thoroughly betrayed look from Teba. 

“I only had a few minutes’ notice,” he managed weakly. 

“You’re  _ not  _ leaving again so soon,” said Saki firmly. 

“Saki-“

“Not without me.”

Riju stifled a snort at the bewildered shock on Teba’s face. The poor voe clacked his beak for a moment, which Saki seemed to take as an invitation.

“Tulin can stay with Harth,” she said in a no-nonsense manner, waving a single feather—finger?—in the air like a teacher. As she kept talking, she raised another finger for each point. “You know he wouldn’t enjoy a long trip. I’ve been meaning to get out of the village ever since the monsters finally let up.  _ You  _ promised to include me in all future  _ incidents  _ so you owe me this one.”

“Well… you’re right,” said Teba sheepishly. 

“I am!  _ And,”  _ said Saki, “I’ve been wanting to meet those champion friends of yours for a while now. It’s settled, we’re going—if that’s alright with Lady Riju here, of course.”

Riju knew strength when she saw it. She  _ also  _ knew a chance for good comedy when she saw it, and Teba’s face was the funniest thing she’d seen in weeks. “Oh, of course. Buliara will appreciate adding two warriors she trusts, if nothing else.”

Teba gave her a look that clearly said  _ really, kid? I trusted you,  _ which Riju answered with only a serene nod. It was all too clear that he didn’t mind Saki tagging along at all—he minded Riju helping throw him under the wagon, but Riju didn’t regret that in the slightest. 

Besides, having Teba and Saki along would make the trip a little more fun. 

—

Having two sets of eyes in the sky meant a trip relatively free of worries from monsters or natural pitfalls. The trip passed quickly with people to talk to, and soon, Riju found herself at the foot of Death Mountain with her companions after a few days’ time. Part of her worried that their trip had been so simple (without so much as a glimpse of Link or the princess despite passing through New Castle Town) but Riju had the goal in sight and refused to delay. 

“Okay, here’s what you’re supposed to use.” Teba landed by their little camp near the stable and casually tossed some bottles to Buliara. The viscous liquid within sloshed in a  _ supremely  _ unappealing way. “The lady selling them said they’re not great for Rito, though… something about not working too well on our feathers.”

Saki shuddered at the same time Teba did, probably imagining the smell of burnt feathers (which Riju, unfortunately, knew from experience was  _ terrible).  _ “That’s not ideal.”

“You two don’t have to come all the way up,” said Riju after a moment’s thought, accepting the bottle Buliara held out. “Buliara and I can go and get Yunobo to come down.”

“Then what?” said Saki curiously. 

“Have a reunion lunch, I suppose,” said Riju. “Fastest way to a Goron’s heart.”

She examined her bottle of “fireproof elixir” further and checked the label. This one promised “extended coverage”, underneath which on the label was written “LESS FIRE” in clumsy Hylian script, like the author had memory issues. Riju could have  _ sworn  _ she knew the handwriting. 

“Yeah, I did that too,” said Teba, noting her frown. “Apparently Link comes by and sells a  _ ton  _ of those to the stable every now and then. Their supply can’t keep up, so they resell the lot.”

Riju snorted. “Ever the hero, stimulating our economy.”

She uncorked the bottle and, upon discovering that it smelled as unappealing that it looked, corked it again. She wouldn’t have to take it until a few of the trail markers had been passed, anyway. 

“We’ll be back soon,” said Buliara, pocketing the rest of the bottles and giving Teba and Saki a nod in farewell. Riju waved and followed her, steeling herself for the coming heat. 

At first, the trail up Death Mountain wasn’t terrible. Riju had certainly faced worse heat in the desert—granted, the desert didn’t have so many fire keese and igneo pebblits. The less said about the fire chuchus, the  _ better.  _

But then came the third marker and having to use the elixirs, and from that point on Riju internally swore off visiting Death Mountain for longer than an hour in the future. The thick smoke and endless hissing from the magma drove her up the wall, the numerous fire Lizalfos hindered their progress, and the rough path dug into her feet even through her shoes. 

“I envy the Gorons their skin,” said Buliara towards the end of the road, once more sheathing her claymore after dispatching an errant monster. “It must be nice to be made of stone in this climate.”

“I’m going to dive into the first oasis I see back home,” said Riju. “Was I complaining about the weather in Rito Village?  _ I take back everything I said.” _

Reaching Goron City did nothing to alleviate the heat, but at least there were fewer obstacles. Riju couldn’t help but look around with curious awe at the rough-hewn homes dotted on a river of lava, watching Goron vehvi roll down the slopes without a care in the world or chase fireproof lizards. An innkeeper called out to her and Buliara as they passed, reminding Riju of the vendors back home who considered it peak business practice to shout at every passing being. 

Still, even with all the bustle, Yunobo was nowhere to be seen. He was unobtrusive for a Goron, true, but Riju would know him anywhere—and he wasn’t in sight. She and Buliara combed the entire settlement to no avail, then took a quick break to replenish their elixirs and buy surprisingly-edible food from a friendly vendor on the north side. 

“He can be a bit shy, but  _ honestly,  _ you’d think we’d have found Yunobo by now,” said Riju with a heavy sigh, daintily taking bites of her meat skewer. Starving as she was, she had to remember appearances. 

“Surprising that the Goron lord didn’t even know where he is,” said Buliara, not bothering to be dainty with her own meat skewer. 

“That’s more than a little concerning,” said Riju, humming thoughtfully. “Let me think… he could be in their mines somewhere too deep for us to go. Should we ask a Goron to check for us?”

Suddenly, cheers went up from somewhere nearby, cutting off Buliara’s response. Riju twisted, then eagerly climbed a nearby boulder (much to the consternation of the meat vendor) all appearances forgotten. 

“YUNOBO! Over here!”

Yunobo, his arms laden with  _ precious gemstones  _ of all things, spotted Riju waving over the crowd around him and grinned widely. Had his expression… flickered? Riju wasn’t sure. “Vai-brother! Hi!”

Another Goron took the stones from an eager Yunobo and he rolled right over, eagerly scooping Riju into a tight hug. Buliara refrained from drawing her claymore this time—but Yunobo put Riju down a little too quickly to have  _ not  _ received a trademark glare. 

“You look good! Did you finally try rock roasts like I said? And who’s this with you? Gosh, it’s been a while!”

If nothing else, Yunobo  _ appeared  _ perfectly happy. He readily agreed to a reunion down the mountain—only if he could bring his own food, of course, but there was hardly an issue with that. He waved to every Goron he saw and cheerfully made conversation on the road back down Death Mountain, turning the miserable journey into something much more palatable. 

Yunobo reacted to Teba the same way he had to Riju—and if Riju hadn’t thought that letting him come was funny already, the look on Teba’s face when he was scooped off the ground cemented the notion. That was the face of someone who was  _ not  _ used to being easily moved. 

“Okay, okay, hello to you too,” he said, affectionately tapping his beak on Yunobo’s head since his wings were restrained. “How’s it going, kid?”

“I’ve been great!” said Yunobo brightly, finally releasing Teba and eagerly shaking Saki’s wing in greeting. “Ever since I got back I’ve been helping out all over Death Mountain since I got so used to traveling. Boss even said I could leave entirely to see the world, isn’t that great?”

“You wanted to reunite as comrades, correct?” Buliara murmured to Riju, stopping enough to be on her level while Yunobo took up all the attention. “There’s still the matter of making lunch. If you and Teba wish to speak alone with Yunobo, I can distract Saki.”

“That would work perfectly, thank you,” Riju said, touched. Buliara wouldn’t leave her alone for longer than five seconds normally—but the situation was hardly normal. 

“Very well. I trust them to keep an eye on you for ten minutes,” said Buliara, giving Riju a look that meant the time limit would  _ not  _ be extended. “It won’t take long to buy things. Have fun.”

With that, Buliara straightened and approached Saki casually, letting Riju enact her part of the plan independently. Luckily, Saki caught on immediately—Riju thanked her lucky stars for having such a smart vai along for the trip—and neither Yunobo nor Teba seemed to question the suspicious criteria for leaving. Granted, neither of them had been around Buliara long enough for her behavior to be  _ that  _ odd. 

“Your wife is just as nice as you told us,” said Yunobo to Teba cheerily. “Must be nice to have someone like that to fall back on all the time, huh?”

Riju stopped herself from frowning at that choice of words just in time, carefully rearranging her expression as she sat on a stump across from Yunobo. Teba, ever the “aloof” warrior, simply leaned up against a spindly tree with his wings crossed.

“Well, yes,” said Teba, understanding exactly what Riju had. “Don’t you?”

Yunobo blinked, still smiling broadly. Strange. The expression almost looked painted on. “I mean, Gorons don’t really do _marriage,_ goro-“

“Not a wife,” said Riju, holding back a snort. “Just someone to fall back on. It looked like you got quite the hero’s welcome back up on the mountain.”

“Oh, that!” Yunobo rubbed the back of his head sheepishly. “I just dealt with a Talus that moved into the northern mine recently. Everyone was happy to be able to properly get back to work, plus traders  _ love  _ diamonds, so… yeah.”

“Did you tell anyone back home the truth?” Riju asked. “You know, about… where we all went.”

“Oh, of course not,” said Yunobo hastily, waving his big hands in the air for emphasis. “They’d never believe me! No one did when I said I saw Daruk’s ghost-“

Teba jumped and hit the tree he was propped on, dislodging some nuts and getting hit on the head with them for his trouble. His feathers seemed to cushion the blow, leaving him  _ perfectly  _ available to stare at Yunobo in horror. “Sorry,  _ ghost?” _

“Are you afraid of ghosts, Teba?” said Riju innocently. Teba shot her a dirty look. “There’s nothing shameful about that. I know hardened Gerudo warriors who run from baby scorpions.”

“Those poison you, right?” Teba pointed out, before huffing and crossing his wings again. “It’s nothin’. I’m not  _ afraid  _ of ghosts. They’re just  _ off-putting.  _ And I didn’t think they were real!”

Yunobo looked like he was trying not to laugh—or maybe trying not to cry, it was a little hard to tell when someone’s face went so completely still. “Yeah, I helped Link get up to Rudania—uh, in this time. Before we left. After?”

“I’m just not thinking about the logistics,” advised Riju.

“Right. Link went down into the crater without me like a  _ crazy  _ person, so I went to find something that could get me down there too, but before I could… Rudania climbed out of the crater and aimed for Ganon. That’s when I saw him. Daruk saw me, too—he even saluted me! I guess Link told him who I am.”

“But?”

“But then he disappeared,” said Yunobo. “I couldn’t convince the boss or anyone else that it was Daruk piloting Rudania and not just Rudania itself without proof, and since none of us could board to check, I never  _ got _ proof.”

“Ah, so you just didn’t tell them at all this time,” said Teba, nodding slowly. 

“Nobody at all. They don’t know what we went through,” Yunobo confirmed, his face falling just slightly. He abruptly changed tack once Riju and Teba frowned, stammering, “But it’s fine! I’m okay, really! Now that I’ve seen you guys again I can deal with it myself. Hey, where’s my rock roast, I should go get that-“

“It’s okay if you’re  _ not  _ okay, kid,” said Teba, holding out a wing to stop Yunobo from escaping.

“If I don’t think about it too much, I will be,” insisted Yunobo. 

_ Oh, that’s bad.  _ Riju mentally rewrote her impression of how Yunobo was handling things. 

Teba seemed to be thinking something similar, if his skeptical eyebrow raise was any indication. “I’ll tell you right now, that’s not very healthy.”

“I’m  _ fine,”  _ insisted Yunobo again, crossing his big arms over his chest like he was trying to be defiant. It just looked defensive, like he was hiding behind his own bulk. His nervous smile looked more like a crack in a boulder than a reassurance. “The other Gorons are my brothers, goro. They have my back if I really need it.”

“But you haven’t asked them to do so,” Teba pointed out, not budging. 

Yunobo didn’t say a word. 

“If you’re really handling this and don’t need help, we’ll leave it,” said Riju after a long moment. She stopped Teba from protesting with a look. “Just so long as you’ll be okay-”

“I’m not.”

Riju stopped. 

“Why do you guys have to be so—so  _ genuine  _ about it?” Yunobo sniffled, oily tears gathering at the edges of his eyes. “I had it handled! I haven’t given it enough thought to get upset until n-now-”

He stopped mid-sentence, struggling mightily to not break down in front of them, and Riju would be lying if she claimed not to know what that felt like. 

“Yunobo,” she said gently, hurrying over and laying a light hand on his shaky arm. “We’re here for you.”

Yunobo buried his face in his unwieldy hands, still sniffling. “Y-you mean it…?”

“That’s why Riju came up to Rito Village in the first place,” said Teba, keeping his voice low and even and calming. “She was trying to check on me first, and now she and I are doing the same for you. It’s okay, kid. What we went through wasn’t normal by any means.”

The stony skin under Riju’s hand trembled. Before she could think, Yunobo had snatched her up in yet another bone-crushing hug. Teba was caught a moment later, but neither of them minded—not when Yunobo was smiling shakily underneath the sniffles. 

Riju looked up and saw Buliara and Saki returning over Yunobo’s shoulder, only for the pair to glance at each other and turn back around. She smiled and leaned further into her friend, appreciating Saki’s sharp eye and Buliara’s emotional intelligence for what would likely not be the last time. 

“...thank you.”

Yunobo’s words were so quiet they might as well have been inaudible, but they were a balm to Riju’s heart.  _ Thank Din, I’ve done something good.  _

Teba had ended up being more of a help to Riju than the other way around—and Riju would be grateful to the end of her days for that—but it did irk her slightly to be the one  _ needing  _ said help. What kind of chief would she be, to only ever accept help and never extend it? 

But she  _ had  _ helped. And just in time, too—Yunobo would have self-destructed soon if he didn’t find a good support system. Riju knew what  _ that  _ felt like. 

_ I hope Sidon has been handling things better…  _

“Do you want to come with us?” she said impulsively. Yunobo made a confused noise and released her and Teba both, though his hands stayed close. “We haven’t seen Sidon yet, and it seems like you might need a change of scenery.”

“Really?” Yunobo’s face lit up, a weak-yet-hopeful smile stretching from ear to ear. “You want me with you? 

“That’s a good idea, actually,” said Teba thoughtfully, tilting his head in the jerky way Rito tended to do. “We could turn this whole thing into a reunion of the—what did Impa call us? Descendant units? Only come if you want to, kid.”

“Of COURSE I want to! Let’s do it!” Yunobo excitedly waved his hands around, nearly bowling Riju over and succeeding in sending Teba staggering. Glee instantly gave way to panic, then hilarity—Riju didn’t really feel bad for laughing at poor Teba, though she feigned guilt well. 

Buliara and Saki returned not long later to loud laughter and reassuring smiles and cheerful suggestions for the reunion thrown around the little campsite. Lunch became a hopeful affair from then on without a trace of grief to overshadow it, just like Riju had wanted—a family  _ almost  _ reunited. 

Sidon probably had things handled, of course. He was a royal, the Zora were well-known for their physical  _ and  _ mental healing abilities, and he had already faced this exact flavor of loss. 

Riju just wanted to be sure. 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> (Happy Birthday again, Kip! Once I realized my other fic update intended as a gift was basically just solid angst, I figured I better hustle with this one and give you some hurt/comfort too)

**Author's Note:**

> Check me out on tumblr @no-themes-just-memes if you want to see more backstage stuff about my fics! Comments and kudos are greatly appreciated <3


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